Mamma Mia! Study Guide R a Tm T S E L T T I L © Table of Contents
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MAMMA MIA! STUDY GUIDE R A TM T S E L T T I L © TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME TO MAMMA MIA! STORY SUMMARY MEET THE CHARACTERS BACKGROUND INFO: MUSICAL HISTORY ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES MUSIC THEATER RESOURCES TM WELCOME TO MAMMA MIA! TELL ME PLEASE, ‘CAUSE I HAVE TO KNOW I’M A CURIOUS CHILD, BEGINNING TO GROW AND YOU MAKE ME TALK AND YOU MAKE ME FEEL AND YOU MAKE ME SHOW WHAT I’M TRYING TO CONCEAL –Words and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus Sophie seems to have everything going for her. She’s about to get married to the man she loves. She lives on a beautiful Greek island with a mother who cares about her. Her life should be perfect, but something is missing. Although she’s been raised by her loving mother, she’s never met her father. In MAMMA MIA!, Sophie longs to find out the truth about who she is; with three letters in the mailbox, she hopes to create what she’s never had: a traditional family. With the help of her mother and friends, she discovers that fam - ilies come in many different shapes and sizes, and that love doesn’t always need to follow the rules. With its wonderful songs and magical story, MAMMA MIA! offers young people a unique opportunity: to use an exciting musical as the launching point for a wide variety of discussions, activities and lessons. Sophie’s mother, Donna, came of age during the 1970s, a turbulent time when music, culture and social norms all went through wild changes. Donna sees her daughter growing up in the present day and tries – as all parents do – to help Sophie avoid the mistakes she made in her youth. MAMMA MIA! will allow young people to explore the era of the 1970s and compare it to their own time. This guide is written to help educators merge a trip to MAMMA MIA! with a curriculum that includes Eng - lish/Language Arts, Social Studies, Theater, and Music. Each section in the guide includes lesson plans, ac - tivities and ideas for discussion, along with appropriate standards and goals. Resources for further exploration can be found on page 33. Using this guide, educators and students will be able to make a trip to MAMMA MIA! educational, as well as fun. 1 www.mamma-mia.com • www.mammamiafanclub.com STORY SUMMARY ACT ONE The story opens on the beach of a beautiful Greek island. Sophie, a young, hopeful woman, is about to mail three invitations. She takes a moment to think about what she’s doing (“I HAVE A DREAM”) then drops the letters into the mailbox. Suddenly, two of Sophie’s old friends, Ali and Lisa, appear. They are there for a very special occasion: Sophie is getting married! But even Sky, Sophie’s fiancé, doesn’t know the secret she now reveals to her friends: Years ago, Sophie’s a plan nna dreams up Do hy man! mother, Donna, knew three men, and one of them is Sophie’s father (“HONEY, to get a wealt HONEY”). It is these three men, Sam Carmichael, Bill Austin and Harry Bright, that Sophie has invited to her special day. It’s her dream to have her real father give her away on her wedding. Just as Sophie is plotting with her friends, her mother, Donna, is reminisc - ing with her old pals, Rosie and Tanya, who have also come to the island for Sophie’s wedding. Donna, Rosie and Tanya were once a pop singing group called “Donna and the Dynamos.” Donna introduces her friends to Sophie’s fiancé, Sky, along with Pepper and Eddie, the waiters at Donna’s hotel/bar, the Taverna. After fifteen years of running the place, Donna is ready for some success (“MONEY, MONEY, MONEY”). As Donna and the girls exit, Sam, Harry and Bill arrive at the Taverna and meet Sophie. Sophie wants to keep the reason Donna d t reams for their presence on the island a secret from Donna (“THANK o get a up a pla wealth n y man! YOU FOR THE MUSIC”). Suddenly Donna comes in and sees the three men. All of her old feelings come bubbling to the surface (“MAMMA MIA”). Donna can’t hide her emotions from Rosie and Tanya (“CHIQ - an p a pl ms u an! UITITA”). Rosie and Tanya try to comfort Donna, remembering drea hy m onna ealt D t a w their old days on stage (“DANCING QUEEN”). to ge In the meantime, Sophie, too, is in turmoil at the arrival of her “three Dads.” She needs Sky to comfort her (“LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME”). While the boys are having Sky’s bachelor party, the girls listen to “Donna and the Dynamos” sing one of their old tunes (“SUPER TROUPER”). Harry, an na dreams up a pl Don an! Bill and Sam arrive at the party, only to be welcomed into the dance to get a wealthy m 2 www.mamma-mia.com • www.mammamiafanclub.com STORY SUMMARY Continued... (“GIMME, GIMME”). Sophie speaks with each of her potential Dads. Bill is very close to learning the secret (“NAME OF THE GAME”). He promises to give her away at the wedding the next day. All the townspeople meet in the courtyard to celebrate Sophie and Sky (“VOULEZ-VOUS”). Sam takes Sophie aside to say that he would be proud a plan nna dreams up Do hy man! to be her father. He promises to walk her down the aisle at the wedding. to get a wealt Then Harry meets her and promises the same thing! Sophie is stunned as the curtain falls. ACT TWO As the second act begins, Sophie is having a nightmare (“UNDER ATTACK”). Upon awakening, So - phie is confronted by Donna who thinks she wants to cancel the wedding. But Sophie is determined to not repeat what she sees as her mother’s mistake: raising a child without a father. Donna is left with her thoughts (“ONE OF US”), until she meets Sam. They reach out to each other, but are held back by pride (“S.O.S.”). The guests begin to gather for the wedding. Tanya flirts with Pepper (“DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW?”). Sophie finds Sky and confesses that she invited Harry, Bill and Sam, hop - ing that one of them would be her real father. Sky is upset that she didn’t tell him the truth. Sam tells Sophie that she shouldn’t get married unless it’s what she really wants (“KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU”). Donna d t reams In Donna’s room, Donna and Harry reminisce about their past (“OUR o get a up a pla wealth n LAST SUMMER’). Sophie comes in, and although there is still tension y man! between them, she asks Donna to help her dress for the wedding (“SLIPPING THROUGH MY FINGERS”). Sophie asks Donna to give her away at the wedding. As Rosie puts the final touches on the wedding arrangements, she asks Bill if there is a chance for their relationship to grow (“TAKE A CHANCE”). The wedding begins. Before Sky and Sophie can take their vows, Donna breaks in, telling everyone that Sophie’s real father is there. Sophie reveals that she has read Donna’s diary and invited Sam, Harry and Bill. The three men agree to ALL be Sophie’s dad. Sophie and Sky decide to postpone the wedding and explore the world together. But before the wedding decorations can be taken down, Sam asks Donna to marry him (“I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO”). Donna dreams up a p 3 to get a lan wealthy man! www.mamma-mia.com • www.mammamiafanclub.com MUSICAL HISTORY During the 1970s, the Swedish pop group ABBA became one of the most popular musical groups in the world. With phenomenal songs like “Waterloo,” “Dancing Queen,” and, of course, “Mamma Mia,” ABBA’s sound swept the world with its optimism, joyful lyrics and infectious beat. Today, music permeates every aspect of our lives; therefore, an investigation into the origins and importance of popular music such as ABBA’s will enrich a trip to see MAMMA MIA! WHAT IS “POP” MUSIC? To understand and appreciate the music of ABBA and the story of MAMMA MIA!, you need to understand what we mean by the term “popular” music. What do you think of when you hear the word “popular”? The best? Well-liked? “Pop - ular” is really derived from the Latin word “popularis,” or “of the people.” So “Pop - ular Music” (or “Pop” music, as it’s come to be known) is the music loved by the people, not the music critics or professors tell us we should enjoy. And because “pop” music is the music the people love, listening to it and discussing it are interesting ways Do to learn about a culture: its history, its concerns, its storytelling, its desires. “Pop” nna dreams up a p to ge lan t a wealthy man! music is the voice of the people, singing their story. FOLK MUSIC Today, we take music like ABBA’s for granted. Music is everywhere. We hear it on the radio, on CDs, on the Internet. We hear music in the background on television shows and movies. We hear music in our cars, on airplanes, even in space. We hear music when we wake up in the morning, and before we go to bed at night. It wasn’t always this way. Before the advent of technology that made the widespread of music possible, music was seen as the forum for the talented: Those who could not play an instrument, or felt they could not sing, did not have music in their lives.